hey it shouldnt need as much light in winter .... it should be dormant ... and many things get different colors in winter .. though i never grew a BB ... i would expect over watering.. to create yellow leaves... as which i dont see any ... other than that.. i can not really focus on your pic all that great ... might you not be able to get a bit closer??? could it be.. perhaps.. that you are getting a little antsy for spring.. and this thing isnt ready to get going yet ...??? ... give it a few more weeks .. and lets see what happens ... vigorous spring shoots would answer all your questions .... give it time.. and obviously.. do not water if you know the soil is already damp ... insert finger and keep track ... do you happen to know the full cultivar name??? .. might make a difference ken

Hi Bill, you asked about hardy Callistemon.......I received some seed from the coldest areas of Tasmania and I planted one out last summer to get a feel how hardy they are. We'll.......they aren't very hardy. The leaves are totally fried and the trunk ruptured. I've read a report from a guy in Deleware who purchased Woodlander's hardy Callistemon and his fried for the first time this winter and his low was about 10F........I'm not very impressed. PS, I have a few of these in my garage.....you can have one to kill for yourself. LOL

probably the plant is actually "woodlanders' hardy" (apparently originally sold by woodlanders nursery in south carolina?). it is one of the "southern living garden book" lists it as hardy to below 0f. but even if true (and they are NOT infallable) the plant likely would look best in sunny protected spot (fron cold winds) and with maybe just a bit of afternoon shade from the texas sun. will probably also appreciate some summer water in very hot summer areas.

I like to get my seeds from vendors that grew their plants in areas similar to mine, if possible (however, most places are pretty different). The reason I like to do this is acclimatization. If a plant gets used to growing in a greenhouse, or a vastly different region, it might take a few years of growing in your climate to get it acclimatized sufficiently. I think acclimatization to your own personal soil and water is as important as acclimatization to the climate, however. Seeds from my friend a couple miles away just don't grow the same in my soil. Even my neighbor's yard is different with seeds from the same seed packet. When I say they don't grow the same, I mean the production and taste is different. The plants can still seem healthy.